A large new brick building is nearing completion across from Lucky’s Foodland on Highway 25 and there’s been a lot of speculation about exactly what it is. With a little investigation and a few phone calls, we got the scoop.

Fresenius Medical Care will locate a dialysis center in that building where it will offer services to Montevallo and surrounding areas. “Currently, residents of Montevallo travel to Clanton or to Alabaster for dialysis services,” said Debbie Hultquist, regional vice president of the North Alabama region. “With a Fresenius Clinic in their community, patients will have convenient access to the highest quality care.”

Hultquist further explained that because of the high number of people with high blood pressure and with diabetes in this larger Southeast area, renal failure is very prevalent.

The projected opening date of the center is early this summer. Dr. David Tharpe will be the medical director and a clinical manager has already been employed. There will be employment opportunities, however for registered nurses, certified patient care technicians, a social worker, a dietitian and a biomedical technician. These job openings are listed on Monster.com.

The open hours for the clinic will be from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. in order to schedule different groups of patients from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 5,000-square-foot building is beautifully finished with 10 treatment stations, offices and a reception area

According to Hultquist, FMC is North America’s leading provider of dialysis services and they have 60 centers in Alabama alone. She explained that their objective is to deliver the best possible care for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease by offering comprehensive dialysis service and the highest quality in products and equipment.

For more information about FMC, go to Fmcna.com.

Catherine Legg can be reached at clegg2@bellsouth.net.